Flat-bed printing-press.



EL EEGHMAM FLAT BED P LLPPLUATION EILBD MAR. 4, 190s.

ING PRESS,

2 SHEETS-SHEET l..

H, BECHMAN.

FLAT BED PRNTING PRESS.

APPLmATIoN FILED MAR.. 4, 190s.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

[im lllllllmllll t ?atentad Apr. i3, w09.

I, ing-Presses; and I hereby declare that the N UNITED srArEs EnrENr oEEioE. i N

`HENRY F. BECHMAN, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO DUPLEX PRINTING PRESS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

FLAT-BED PRINTING-PRESS.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 13, 1909.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY F. BEoHMAN, of Battle Creek, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flat-Bed Printfollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention contemplates certain new and useful improvements in web perfecting printing presses of that type which embody a plurality of printing couples and in which a plurality of webs is designed to be fed tothe various couples, the said webs being fed continuously to the press and delivered continuously therefrom, but at difierent speeds, and

said webs also passing through the press with an intermittent motion.

The invention has for its object to provide novel means whereby the several webs which are fed to the press and delivered therefrom simultaneously may each be threaded through an selected number of the printing couples an moved through the press independently of each other and at different speeds according to the number of couples through which they are threaded.

' The invention will be fully understood from the accompanying drawings and summarized in the claims following the description of the machine illustrated in the drawings. 'i l In said drawings--Figure 1 is a diagrammatical longitudinal sectional View through a machine embodying the invention, two Webs being utilized and one of the webs being threaded through all of the said couples while the opposite web is only shown as threaded through two cou les.k F ig. 2 is a to plan view of Fig. 1. ig. 3 is a detail en arged view of the delivery mechanism. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of the sectional feed and delivery rolls and their gearing.'

A printing press embodying the present invention comprises essentially a pluralityof flat stationary type beds and coacting reciprocating impression cylinders designed-to receive two or more webs, novel means being provided whereby the individual Webs can each be adjusted independently and threaded through any selected number of the printing couples and i'ed through the press at the desired rate ofspccd. Any desired number of eoacting type beds and impression cylinders may be employed and in the arrangement shown the press comprises four printing couples.

Referring to` the drawings it will be observed that each printing couple comprises a stationary type bed, and a co-aeting reciproeating impression cylinder. As shown the printing couples are arranged in pairs, two type beds 1 and 3 being in one plane and the other two type beds 2 and 4 being arranged in a plane parallel with beds 1 and 3; and the bed 2 is directlyr over the bed 1, and bed 4 is directly over bed 3. ilith each bed co-acts a reciprocating impression cylinder la, 2a, 8a, 4, respectively; andsaid cylinders may be mounted in connected cross-heads (not shown) in the well known Duplex manner; and reciprocated simultaneously back and forth over the type beds after the manner of the Duplex press. Beside each impression cylindcr are located web guides 1b, 1c; 21220; 3b, 3C; 4", 4C; respectivel At the end ofthe press adjacent be s 3- and 4, are stationary web guides 5e and 5f. Intermediate the cylinders 1, 3, is a stationary web guide 5C; and intermediate cylinders 2a, 4, is a stationary guide 5h. At the drive end of the press are located the feeding and delivering devices hereinafter described, and the web mechanism for loo ing the Web, so as to stop the part of the we in the press' just before and during the rintin operations; and then shift the we uic rly over the beds, after the manner of the uplex web compensating devices. These looping or compensating devices comprise a vertically reciprocating frame 6 actuated in any a proved manner as through the medium of t e cam-wheel 6b, and lever 6", like the Duplex loopers. rl`he frame 6 carries a lower set of looping rollers 6, 6e, and a corresponding upper set of loo ing rollers of and 6g. Coo erating with t ie looping rollers 6,, 6", are tllie lower stationary web guides 5, 5b, and the upper stationary web guides 5i, 5j coperate with looping rollers 6f und 6g.

The web feeding in devices consist of a roll composed of two parts 7, 7, with which coact tapes 7, running over tape-guide rollers as usual. 'lhe sections 7, 7, may be fastened togethcr so as to be driven as one, but normally are independently driven; for this purpose (see liig. 4) section 7 may be fasi on the roll-shaft 7, while section 7 is loose on said shaft. The shaft may be driven at the desired speed by train of gears 7e from the main crank shaft of the machine, as shown in the drawings while section 7a may be driven at a dierent speed from the roll-shaft 7Cl by means of the gears'7h, 7i, 7j, 7, and intermediate shaft 7, carrying gears 7i and 7j. The gear 7k is fast to the roll section 7 a. The gears 7h, 7 i, may be changeable so as to vary the speed of rotation of section 7 a.

The delivery device comprises a roll having sections 8, 8, corresponding to sections 7, 7, of the feed roll and may be driven in unison therewith by trains of gears 8e, 8f, as indicated in the drawings. W ith sections 8, 8a, co-act the tape systems 8C, as usual.

The peculiar structure of the feeding and delivery rolls is not claimed per se herein. These feed and delivery rolls are adapted, when their sections are driven at different speeds, to handle, two webs through the press,-one web W passing over sections 7 and 8, and l term it the fast7 web and the other web w passing over sections 7 a, 8, and I terni it the slow web.

One method of threading the webs through the press is clearly shown in the drawings, and will suffice to explain the mode of operation of the press. The webs being led therethrough as follows: The webs are drawn from their respective rolls W', w', and passed under a guide 5* up to the feed rolls 7, 7a. The course of web W is then as follows: From the roll section 7 it passes down under a guide 5, up over looper 6d, down under guide 5, up over looper 6e, down under guide 5b, thence over guides 1b, 1U, 3b, 3, and under the cylinders 1, 3, to the guide 5e thence up over guide 5f, back over guides 4, 4', 2b, 2, and under cylinders 4, 2, to guide 5i; then it passes down under the uper looper 61', up over guide 5j, down under ooper 6g, thence -up over a guide 5k to the section 8 of the delivery roll, thence it passes over deliector bars 5, 5m, to and between the cutting and collecting cylinders 9, 9, being assembled at this point with the web wand passed therewith to the folding mechanism 9C, which may be of any suita le construction.

lt will be observed that four impressions are made on web W, and that it can thus be perfected in colors, or the impressions on beds 1 and .3 may be imprinted side by side, and perfected by the impressions from beds 4 and 2 this method of printing will give twice the number of ages that would be possible to print on on y one pair of beds (1 and 2, or 3 and 4) and necessitates a more rapid feed and delivery of the web; which is however compensated for accurately by the loopin mechanism by reason of the double loops ormed thereby as described.

The course of Web w is as follows: After leaving section 7l of the feed roll, it passes erases under guide 5, up over looper 6d, down under guide 5, and thence either through the printing mechanism after the manner of web l W-provided it is desired to perfect it in multicolor, otherwise after passing guide 1, it is led up over guide 5c to and over guide 511,'thence back over guides 2b, 2 c, and under cylinder 2 to guide'5", down under looping roller 6g, up over guide 5k to thedelivery roll section 8, thence it passes to the cutting and collecting cylinders 9, 9, and is assembled with web W. As the Web w, in the example stated, is led over but one set of looping devices, it is fed and delivered more slowly than web W,-and in the example shown, eight pages may be printed on web W for each operation of the press, and four pages on web w, making a total of twelve pages. By using a narrower web w, ten pages can be printed (on both webs) at each operation of the press.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that one compensating device acts upon'a plurality of webs, each of which is threaded through a selected number ofva plurality of printing couples.

If the roll sections 7, 7, and 8, 8, be driven at same speed (either fast or slow) both webs can be threaded'and handled alike through the press, or a single web wider than either web W or w, or as wide as both, can be handled in the press.-

The essential novelty of the present invention resides in the employment of a plurality of-(more than two)beds and cylinders and means whereby one or two webs can be threadedl through any selected number of such printin couples-for example so that one web can e 'printed on four beds, and the other web can be printed on two beds as indicated in Fig. 1 and the web led through all four printing couples can be printed in multicolor if fed at the same rate of speed as the other web, or in one color if fed at twice the rate of speed of the other web.

I do not herein claim the use of two beds and cylinders to print one or two webs.

Havingthus described the invention what l claim as new is:

1. ln a perfecting printing press, the combination of a plurality of printing couples, l

means for threading a plurality of webs through the said printin couples to be perfected, each of the webs eing desi ned-to be passed through any selected num er of the couples, and two sets of looping devices for all the webs, said looping devices serving to forni a plurality of loo s in both' webs, the number of loops in eacfi web being variable and depending upon the manner in which the web is threaded through the press.

2. ln a perfecting printing press, the coinbination of a plurality of ranting couples, means for threading a p urality of webs through the said printing couples, each web being designed to be passed through any selected number of the couples to perfect it, a reciprocatingl frame, two sets of looping rollers carried by the frame, and two sets of co-acting stationary rollers cooperating with the looping rollers, the saidlooping rollers `and stationary rollers acting upon all the Webs and the number of loopsv formed in each web being variable and depending .upon the manner in W'hich it is threaded.

3.` In a perfecting printing press, the combination of a plurality of'printing couples, means for ,threading a plurality of webs through they said printing'l couples, each of the Webs being designed to be passed through any selected number of the couples, meanslfor feeding the webs, means for loop-V ing the weben-and means for assembling the Webs. v i:

`4. In a perfecting' printing press, the comev bination of four printing couples, means for threading a plurality of Webs through the said printing couples, each of the Websbein designed to be passed through 'aselecte number of the couples, means for feeding the various Webs through the couples at different speeds, and means for compensating the Webs. y, y v.

5. In a perfecting-printing press, the combination of four printing couples,V means for threading two Webs through the said print# ing couples, each of the webs being designed to be passed through any selected Vnumber of the couples, means for feeding said Webs at different speeds, means for looping'the webs, and means for assembling the webs.

6. In a perfecting printing press, the combination of a plurality of printing couples, each comprising a stationary bed and reciprocating cylinder, means for threading a pluralityof Webs through the said printing couples, each of the webs being designed to be passed through any selected number of .the couples, means for feeding the Webs at different speeds, and a single compensating device for all the'webs. i l

7. In a'perfecting printing'press, the combination of a plurality of printing couples, each comprisin a stationaryfbed and reciprocating cylin( er, 4 means for threading a pluralityof Webs throu h the said printing couples, each of the We s being designed to bepassed through any selected number of the couples, means for feeding the Websat different speeds, and a single compensating device for all the Webs, said compensating device serving to form a plurality of 'loops in the Webs and the number of loops in each Amanner in which the web is threaded.

8. In a perfecting printing press, the combination of a plurality ofv prlnting couples, Ieach comprising a stationar 'bed and reciprocating cylinder, means or threading a plurality of Webs through the said rinting couples, each web being designedp to be passed through any selected 'number of the couples, means for feeding the webs at different speeds, a reciprocating frame, looping rollers carried` by the frame, and stationary rollers coperating with the looping rollers, the said looping rollersl and stationary. rollers acting upon all the Webs and the number ofloops formed in each web being variable and depending upon the manner in which it is threaded.

9. In a perfecting printing press, the combinationof'fourprinting couples, each comprisin a ystationary bed and reciprocating cy'lin er, means for threading a plurality of Webs through the said printing couples, each ofthe Webs bein passed through any selected number o? the couples, means for feeding and delivering the Webs at different speeds, a compensating device for all the Webs, and means for assembling the webs.

10. ,In a perfecting printing press, the

combination ofy a` plurality of printing couples, each comprising a stationary bed and reciprocating cylinder, means for threadinga plurality of Webs through the-said printing couples, each of the `Webs being passed through a selected number of the couples, means for feeding and deliveringthe various webs at different speeds, and a single compensating device for all thewebs.

11. In a perfecting printing press, the combination of a 'plurality of ,printing coup1es, each comprising a stationary bed and reciprocating cylinder, means for threading a plurality of Webs through the said printing couples, each of the Webs being -passed through any selected number of thecouples', means for feeding and delivering the various Webs at different speeds7 and a sin le looping mechanism for ally the Webs, an means for assembling the printed Webs.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as'my own, I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY r. Brennan. Witnesses F. W. DNnINe, IRVING K. STONE. 

